Aston Hill Bike Park

Plans are afoot to bring Aston Hill Bike Park back from the dead. They’re trying to gauge what level of support there would be for it…

Hopefully the link works!

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLScaKorJ4e6TNtSaxWqF7fjEC9XNxmnhhae8Ow2j8oMEUSfK6w%2Fviewform%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1PAPLmGLAtFSzE-5sOXxjqe5Inx8nolZlbS8TVsyKT92jVFEOea8oXzP0_aem_aR8mfpb3cAaMWdrE607Kfg&h=AT2E8UAolzTR4V5pHFly8Qn8wdVygptWlNv-2Y3Cmgtb4RXApZgpoaisJ1iaZxXCwQ1lmSBhS-RKSJEA1C1js9xnUeBk8396aanl5ukrA1Notrrmf2jGK-ATrMMoULxWr_Gtot3HgA&__tn__=H-R&c%5B0%5D=AT0Cs-QUALII6o3wJtc1O2_j0-mv0AniB2rVwS_OxJ9IM3HpmKpNMrR4-dzHWGufNp_fA5N5_hedUSXJ9GYFrF-lQ0Cxu1RD7-nfdDXpu3QMeX4YsBd3MRXcKWopMvh_9XeYkQkyIIcZKHeKELpYdswM-2BHQ6WiTxVoI-crDMVOEDLc_MaLNnbkERNK3VCIpcbNjfLcZvZS9N-itby_YMkcvvA

I remember doing XC races there, part of the SAMS (Southern Area Mountain bike Series) !

Started on the fireroad that ran through the middle of it, a long ever so slightly uphill drag to a sharp right and onto one of the DH tracks! Turned into tight twisty steep DH singletrack, ran along the bottom of the hill, up the far side past the start line and on upwards then across the very top of the hill and turned onto the descent again. Short lap but absolutely brutal.

Set off once in Expert and then about 2 mins behind were the Elites. Got to the DH bit, whole line of us strung out through the descent and then the Elites caught us. They came past us on a line wide enough for 1 bike only. It was like some kind of magic trick. There’d be a call of “on your right!” from behind and the next second, Paul Hinton and Nick Craig appeared in front of you. Like – how the ****?!

It was an awesome course. Proper hardcore circuit – full on DH skills for a third of it, lungbusting climb for a third and, split equally top and bottom, a traverse along the contours for some attempt at recovery. Repeat 5 times.

Cheers – would be great to see it back.

Done.

Loved Aston.  Utterly terrifying in the wet though,  but hilarious sliding down the hill on your arse after losing the bike on a corner

I expect there will be challenges from the neighbouring golf course, not least because that was where the air ambulance had to land whenever someone spangled themselves sufficiently…

It’s a good place for a day of riding or a short course DH race, but chalky ground, steep bits and roots would probably mean I only visited whenever the weather was nice now…

hilarious sliding down the hill on your arse after losing the bike on a corner

Right up until you slide over that piece of razor sharp flint.

Used to like Aston Hill. Pushed up that hill a LOT of times. Would probably work well with a ride up track for eebs.

The nature of the location and the golf course means a proper uplift has always been out of the question, (which is a shame as having one that close to London would be mega popular) but yeah, now Eebs are a thing an easy ride up track would make it a bit more appealing.

Now I have an Eeb I’d certainly be tempted to go again if it reopens, some of those descents were good fun.

If they have somehow managed to work out how to run an uplift that place will be buzzing, the push back up is an absolubte sod.

I hope they just focus on natural trails as that would be the quickest way to get it open quickly with minimal input. I never really liked Surface to Air anyway.

A good selection of fun blue/reds for the Eeb riding Dads and families will see them being very busy a la Swinley, Cannock and the FOD, they’ve traditionally been very focused on the DH side of things which is cool but I can’t see the the number of actual, serious DH riders out there being enough to support the place financially these days.

If they have descents I can ride with my nippers and a fireroad that I can tow them back up I’ll be a frequent visitor, much easier for me to get to than the Surrey hills, much as I love riding there.

Ahhhh memories of youth.

I’m remembering now – wasn’t the push up path an actual designated footpath so it was a strict no no to riding up it?

I’m remembering now – wasn’t the push up path an actual designated footpath so it was a strict no no to riding up it?

Yes, you’re right actually.

Though there are fire roads in the middle which I’m sure could be used if not a dedicated ride up trail.

About time

Ian Warby ran a very popular youth DH coaching club/ team there. great to see the younguns flying down the hill

Really hope it gets sorted

Half the push up path was an actual footpath, the bit next to the golf course was too steep to ride multiple times a day. I’ve ridden the top section of the push up and no-one moaned…

Riding up the footpath was strictly prohibited, but widely practiced.

Used to enjoy Aston a lot, especially when not too wet. Too far away to support it now but I hope they get plenty of responses.

When I used to go there, I didn’t really have the sort of bike you’d want to try and ride up with anyway! 🙂

Missed this – the deadline was yesterday morning!

I’m local and keen to see it return. But even as an enthusiast, the question in the survey about multi-year memberships seemed a bit out of kilter. The lowest option for how much you might pay for a three year membership was £750. There were other options in the 000’s!

That’s quite spicy. There’s no mention of uplift and I can’t realistically see that happening, so it’s not clear what exactly you get for the £250 a year they envisage. That equates to about a ride a week on the old pay and display system. It would need huge development to justify tearing myself away from the free local trails for most weekends a year to cover that £250.

Much as I want to make it happen, and I’d be happy to dig for free, I just don’t see the economics working out. Particularly now because of the state it’s in and the amount of re-wilding that has taken place after the ash works.

It’s not going to be BPW as there’s no uplift. It’s not going to be another Swinley because it’s a steep site (hence the popularity with DH) and it’s not going to have the range of FoD trails, let alone the facilities. So much as my heart wants it back my head struggles to make it add up.

@roadworrier it’s a good site due to it’s proximity to London. Lots of people will hopefully support it well, (including myself).

When the time comes, I plan to contribute as much as possible and then again in the near future. It was the best location to practice DH within 1-2 hour drive of London. Especially if it’s wet.

Right up until you slide over that piece of razor sharp flint.

Used to like Aston Hill. Pushed up that hill a LOT of times. Would probably work well with a ride up track for eeb

I was doing a race one day where that happened and watched as someone tore his leg open on said flint..  proper full length job.

I did a photoshoot at Aston with Ian for MBR  I was mildly famous for 5 minutes.?

I think it will always get enough traffic to be viable, it’s not a massive venue so is never going to compare to bike parks.
The USP is that it’s a proper DH venue in an area with nothing similar, you’ve got to go a long way to get something similar.
I’ll certainly be keen to get back there.

The USP is that it’s a proper DH venue in an area with nothing similar, you’ve got to go a long way to get something similar.

They had a decent little 4x / dual slalom track there as well at one point.

I’m fortunate to live around 15 minutes from here so keen for it to reopen as my new local.

If they could integrate with Wendover Woods next door you would have more opportunities for longer XC routes and decent facilities for families but feel that the forestry commission would be happier keeping bikes as far away from their existing guests as possible.

They certainly don’t seem to have acted very quickly to get AH reopened